Pipeline planLink Console vs Google’s Campaign URL Builder and a spreadsheet
By Hojabr Sattari. Updated .
Google’s Campaign URL Builder adds UTM parameters to one URL at a time, and most teams paste the result into a spreadsheet to keep a record, which works for one person. Link Console is the step up when several people or agencies build links: it applies your naming rules as people type, keeps one shared history, adds short links and QR codes, and on Pro checks the URLs already live in Google Ads and Microsoft Ads. It is free for up to 3 users; Pro is $49 per workspace a month with 10 users.
Link Console at a glance
- What it is
- A UTM link builder from PlanConversion that applies naming rules as people type, with short links, QR codes and a shared link history
- Checks
- Live Google Ads and Microsoft Ads URLs (hourly, read only, Pro); GA4 exports; HubSpot, Salesforce and Pipedrive (Pro)
- Free plan
- Free forever for up to 3 users: naming rules, approved values, approvals, 5 templates, 100 short links a month
- Pro
- $49 USD per workspace a month, or $490 a year (2 months free); 10 users included, then $5 per extra user
- Enterprise
- $12 USD per user a month, billed annually, from 25 users
- With Pacing Console
- Pro $79 per workspace a month; Enterprise $28 per user a month
- Trial
- 30-day Pro trial on every new workspace, no credit card
- Sign-in and extension
- Google or Microsoft sign-in; Chrome extension coming soon to the Chrome Web Store
At a glance
| Criterion | Link Console | Google Campaign URL Builder |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A UTM builder with naming rules, shared history, short links and QR codes | Google’s builder for one tagged URL at a time, usually paired with a spreadsheet you maintain |
| Price | Free for up to 3 users; Pro $49 per workspace a month or $490 a year, 10 users included | No price listed on Google’s pages; a spreadsheet costs what your office suite costs |
| Parameters | The five standard UTMs on every plan; custom parameters on Pro | The nine parameters Google documents, including utm_id, utm_source_platform, utm_creative_format and utm_marketing_tactic |
| Naming rules and approved values | Enforced as people type: lowercase, separators, locked and required parameters, approved lists | None in the builder; Google’s help page notes that values are case sensitive, so consistency is up to you |
| Shared link history | One searchable history for the whole team and agencies | Only what people remember to paste into the sheet |
| Short links and QR codes | 100 short links a month free, unlimited on Pro; editable destinations and a QR designer | Not mentioned on Google’s help page |
| Bulk building | Bulk CSV builder and spreadsheet import with checks (Pro) | Spreadsheet formulas you write and maintain |
| Live ad URL audit | Hourly, read-only audit of Google Ads and Microsoft Ads final URLs, tracking templates and suffixes (Pro) | Not offered |
| GA4 and CRM checks | GA4 export check (free); HubSpot, Salesforce and Pipedrive checks (Pro) | Not offered |
| Sign-in | Google or Microsoft sign-in | Not stated on Google’s pages |
Where Link Console wins
- Rules run before a link exists, so “LinkedIn”, “linkedin” and “linked-in” never become three sources
- One shared history instead of a sheet that drifts from what was actually published
- Approved values and a request and approval flow, free, so agencies cannot invent new sources
- Short links, editable destinations and QR codes in the same place as the UTMs
- An hourly read-only check of the URLs already live in Google Ads and Microsoft Ads (Pro)
- A GA4 export check that shows which existing values break your convention
Where Google Campaign URL Builder wins
- It is Google’s own tool, linked from the Google Analytics help center
- It lists every parameter Google documents for GA4, including utm_id, utm_source_platform, utm_creative_format and utm_marketing_tactic, with no setup
- A spreadsheet is fully flexible: any column, any formula, no new tool for the team to learn
- For one person tagging a handful of links a month, the free route is genuinely enough
When the free route stops working
Google’s help page is clear that UTM values are case sensitive and that missing parameters show up as (not set) in reports. A builder plus a sheet does not stop either problem: it relies on every person typing the same values every time. The signs that it has stopped working are familiar: three spellings of one source in GA4, campaigns reported as (not set), and a sheet nobody trusts. That is usually the point where a second person or an agency starts building links. Link Console is free for up to 3 users, so a small team can move its rules out of the sheet without a budget line.
How to switch from Google Campaign URL Builder
- Create a free Link Console workspace (Google or Microsoft sign-in) and set your separator, lowercase and required parameters; the workspace starts with a 30-day Pro trial.
- Export your link sheet as a CSV and upload it to the spreadsheet import and check: it flags every value that breaks the convention and gives you a fixed file.
- Turn the cleaned source and medium lists into approved values, and import the links into the shared history.
- Recreate your common link patterns as templates and invite the team and agencies.
- Keep the sheet as an archive; new links go through Link Console from now on.
How we checked
Every fact about Google Campaign URL Builder on this page comes from Google Campaign URL Builder’s own public pricing, product and help pages, checked on November 3, 2026, and listed under Sources. Prices are in USD as published that day and change over time, so confirm them with Google Campaign URL Builder before you buy. Where a feature is described as not listed, we did not find it on those pages; it may exist elsewhere.
Which one fits your team
Choose Link Console when
- More than one person or an agency builds your links
- Reports already show several spellings of the same source or medium
- You want short links and QR codes tied to the tagged URL
- You run Google Ads or Microsoft Ads and want live URLs checked
Choose Google Campaign URL Builder when
- You are one person tagging a few links a month
- You need utm_source_platform, utm_creative_format or utm_marketing_tactic today without setting up custom parameters
- You do not want another tool, and a well-kept sheet is working
Frequently asked questions
Is Google’s Campaign URL Builder enough?
For one person tagging a few links, yes. It adds the parameters correctly. It does not enforce naming rules or keep a shared history, so consistency depends on everyone typing the same values.
Why not just use a spreadsheet with dropdowns?
Dropdowns help until someone types over them, copies an old row or builds a link outside the sheet. Link Console applies the rules at the moment the link is built, keeps the history automatically and adds short links, QR codes and checks of live ad URLs.
Does Link Console support utm_id and the newer GA4 parameters?
The five standard UTMs are on every plan. Other parameters, such as utm_id or utm_source_platform, can be added as custom parameters on Pro.
Can I import my existing sheet?
Yes. Upload it as a CSV to the spreadsheet import and check, which flags off-convention values and imports the links into one shared history.
Sources
Competitor pages checked on .
- Google Analytics Help: URL builders, collect campaign data with custom URLs (support.google.com/analytics/answer/10917952?hl=en)
- Google Analytics demos and tools (Campaign URL Builder) (ga-dev-tools.google/campaign-url-builder)
